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General BattleTech => Alternate Universe => Topic started by: marauder648 on November 21, 2019, 03:09:32 AM

Title: Project Zhukov
Post by: marauder648 on November 21, 2019, 03:09:32 AM

After almost exactly a year, Project Zhukov is finished.

This fan made XTRO is my attempt to give Clan Hell's Horses the tanks and other equipment that it well could have had as 'the tank Clan'. The cannonical vehicles of TRO 3060 were adequate generalist machines that you could see other Clans using if they had to or because there was nothing else available, and there was the Epona there as a hint of what could be but was seemingly never carried through.

That changes in this book.

And just a little thing of note, we're still waiting on one picture and some OOB images, but with any luck they will be done by this week or next and i'll update the file and let people know. But all the units are there as are all the stats and everything you'd need to use these units.

This was a huge collaborative effort, folks on the forum helped me a great deal with the layout, fluff ideas, variants, lore discussions and more and it would not have been possible without their help and the efforts of the artists.

So, ladies, gentlemen and all ships at sea. It is my honour, and pleasure to present to you.

Project Zhukov. - https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wv7kdSUgRD5-gfSaa5oAnHTGlU1Upgu5

And please, any and all feedback are most welcome! Feel free to discuss it, voice thoughts and opinions, rotten fruit and veg can be found in the cart to your right if you want to be negative as all comments are most welcome!

Title: Re: Project Zhukov
Post by: Takiro on November 21, 2019, 06:23:33 AM

Two days ago Bradshaw texted me at work that your Hell's Horse tome was completed. While I haven't had time to go over it in detail I just wanted to congratulate you again here and recommend that every BattleTecher out there download your copy now. Just a quick look will reveal to you all the hard work and love which marauder648 poured into this thing. It is really awesome to witness again the great fanwork that is pulled off by our community, kudos marauder648!! Great job!!!

Title: Re: Project Zhukov
Post by: Bradshaw on November 21, 2019, 07:14:03 AM

Yeah he asked me to post info about it but didn't want to steal any thunder.

Got through about 80% of it now and it continues to impress me the amount of details and quality.

Title: Re: Project Zhukov
Post by: marauder648 on November 21, 2019, 02:19:18 PM

Thank you folks :) I'm glad you're enjoying it so much  :)

Title: Re: Project Zhukov
Post by: Ice Hellion on November 21, 2019, 05:10:26 PM

I downloaded it and looked at it not yet in details but still enough to say that it is an amazing job.

Just a small thing, the pictures are not on the same double page as the design they are illustrating.

Title: Re: Project Zhukov
Post by: marauder648 on November 22, 2019, 04:05:25 AM

Aye admittedly that's not something we thought about when doing the layout. Also, I have my password for this site here at work so i'm back!

Title: Re: Project Zhukov
Post by: Takiro on November 22, 2019, 06:08:01 AM

Great to have you back bud!

Title: Re: Project Zhukov
Post by: marauder648 on November 22, 2019, 10:00:11 AM

The interior of the Blood Red Sandman was redolent with the scent of weapons propellants, the ozone tang of hard worked capacitors and human sweat as the Kratos assault tank came to a halt behind the hastily prepared firing position that a Hephaestus CEV had just backed out of.

“Beta Star, get to grid 34A, there are woods there, do not let them force their infantry through that sector.”
“Aff Star Colonel, will we get any support?” The voice of the Elemental was loud, strong, confident.
“I can give you three Nergal’s with fresh loads, but they are covering the sector, not just you.”
“Understood. They will not get past us.”

The Star Colonel closed the link, looking at the holo-map showing his forces and defensive positions as well as the lay of the terrain and natural obstacles. But he couldn’t help but glance at the camera on the rear of the tank. Kilometres away the distinctive shapes of Ordun class DropShips were quite visible, a score of the huge craft, each one with all their cargo bays open, high speed, high powered winches and cranes deployed as they hauled on tanks, Mechs aboard to be stowed as fast as possible.

‘Not quite the sight I was expecting. What any of us were expecting. Instead of victory, we stand on the edge of catastrophe…’ Liang thought to himself before the voice of his radio and defence systems operator snapped him back to reality.

“Sir, I want to check the port MG mount, it is showing a fault, the engineer’s said they had fixed it but…”
“Five minutes John, no less, and leave the hatch open, it will clear the air in here.”
That got a chuckle from Point Commander Lyle, the big tank’s gunner, a hardened veteran and the second in command of the tank.
“Empty the toilet while you are at it, its too fresh in here.”
There was a sigh over the intercom “Aff Point Commander…” the Radio Operator grumbled, drawing more chuckles from the crew. They’d served together for the two years of Operation REVIVAL and four years prior. They knew each other’s moods and capabilities and in battle operated as well oiled team.

Point Commander Lyle hauled himself out of his seat  on the left of the tanks main gunnery position  and up into the command space, greeting his Commander with a nod before looking at the maps that surrounded them. Lyle was an Elemental albeit a ‘small’ one at a ‘mere’ 6’6 that made him perfect for operating the Deimos battle armour. He’d been assigned to the tank of Star Colonel Liang, commander of the 23rd Mechanized Assault Cluster after being ‘temporarily’ put into the role of a gunner on a Nike IFV after his suit had been badly damaged. Recognising his capabilities, Lian had headhunted him and gotten the Elemental into his crew.

“Does not look good Boss, what we got?”
“Odds and sods..our survivors, as well as elements of the 42nd and some Crusaders from the 666th who are refusing to withdraw. Infantry support from the DropShips is heading up, mostly normal troops and heavy infantry support as well as some Elementals.”
“Any news on any orbital support?”
Liang frowned and shook his head. “Neg. The Khan and I had a…firm and direct discussion regarding that and he said he would not open that can of worms.”
Lyle grinned slightly “Hmph..it is your fault for being too much of a radical..I still remember the look Galaxy Commander Christin Cobb gave you when you suggested we deploy field artillery…”
The Star Colonel chuckled “Aff…but we could do with a battery or two of guns right now quiaff?”
“Aff…just do not send her a message saying that you was right and she was wrong eh?”

Before the Star Colonel could reply the radio crackled to life
“Alert! Hostile forces spotted, combined arms forces baring 331, speed estimated 50kph! ETA..One hour!”
On the map a series of bright red icons showed up as the data feed from the Asshur scout that had spotted the ComGuard forces was relayed to the tanks and Mech’s of the 23rd.

“Warrior Anya?”
“Star Colonel?”
“Make sure we have a full load, we are going to need it…”

Anya was the tanks ‘loader’, the person responsible for the primary weapon systems, their maintenance and operating. The former Technician had worked under the Star Colonel for years and he had sponsored her when she applied for the TankWarrior program. Her father had been an Elemental, her mother a Scientist and she seemed to have adopted the traits of both, being strong and clever and Liang knew that given time she would go far.  ‘If we survive this that is and if we have time..’

ComStar however didn’t give them a hour.

The air seemed alive with ribbons of fire and the searing lines of laser light. The 95-ton Kratos rocked gently as another shell landed nearby, sending dirt rocks fountaining up into the air, raining down on the blood red and black painted tank.
“Target Mech 011!”
The turret slewed, jerking to a halt.
“ON!”
Liang didn’t even have to give the order; Lyle had already stomped down on the foot trigger for the main guns. He could have used the trigger on the joysticks he used to control the rotation and elevation but he preferred the old-style mechanical interface of the foot pedal.
There was a loud electric snarl as the gauss rifle discharged along with the dual large pulse lasers. The Mech, a green and brown camouflaged Cestus staggered as the blitzing blue bolts punched melon sized holes in its right side before the gauss slug connected and connected hard. Another tank joined in, an Alke unloading its ultra-autocannon into the Mech which then seemed to erupt as a round found its gauss rifle’s capacitors. Its torso gutted and engine crippled the Mech fell, its pilot ejecting clear as the 65-ton war machine fell on its face.

“Driver reverse reverse right! Get us behind that berm!”
“Aff!”
There was a rumble as the LRM-15 fired, the missiles arching up and over the tank at a target Lyle had spotted, the turret turning, both gunner and commander hunting for targets.
“Infantry!”
“On it!”
Warrior John, another TankWarrior was the youngest member of the crew, as DSO or Defence Systems Operator it was his job to operate any defensive weapons as well as act as the tanks radio man. And now the 20-year-old ex Labourer was using the tanks bow mounted machine guns to cut down the infantry that the driver had spotted.

There was a scream over the radio and then a loud explosion that even managed to get through the sound proofing of the huge tank and Star Colonel Liang looked at the holo-display for a moment and winced. A Yama tank, its sides torn by laser and shellfire had slewn to a halt, twin jets of flame roaring from its turret hatches as ugly grey smoke billowed out of its barrel as its ammunition detonated turning the interior of the tank into a vision of hell.
“Target! Green 33!”
“On!”
A ComGuard tank, a Vedette had its bow plating smashed open by pulse laser fire before a little twitch of the turret sent a gauss slug into its comrade, both small tanks shuddered to a halt, one ‘brewing up’ as its ammunition ignited the other billowing black smoke before its crew bailed out, the three crew got all of a few meters before machine gun fire cut them down.

There was barely time to think about what had happened, ComGuard troops were surging forwards, Hell’s Horses infantry were counter attacking, Elementals leaping into the fray, reports of losses, kills, ammunition status, damage reports filled the airwaves and displays. It would have been overwhelming, terrifying. But Star Colonel Richard Liang had spent his whole life preparing for a battle such as this. He was a Trueborn, this was what they were bred, born and trained to do. To fight harder than an enemy, to win.
But even he could see he was only holding on.  The ComGuard forces were attacking in huge numbers, trying to punch through the rear-guard to get at the LZ and inflict carnage on the withdrawing Hell’s Horses troops. Barking out orders, directing movement and fire, he knew that every minute spent delaying the ComGuard forces was vital. Five minutes might mean another Star is loaded and able to fight another day, and so, every second was vital.

A Warhammer IIC stomped past, its left arm terminating at the elbow, trailing cables and bleeding fluids from the stump. The Mech was limping, its right knee a shattered ruin, its leg gouged and rent by energy and ballistic fire, coolant fluids and hydraulic lubricants running down the mech’s leg like blood from a wound but it was still fighting.  Pulse lasers blitzing, its remaining particle cannon bellowing in defiance and fury. Until a PPC blast caught it in the head.

“Down to four gauss rounds, LRM ammo is gone!”
“Right tracks jamming, I think it is a rock caught in the running gear, trying to clear!”
“Armour is wearing thin.”
The Blood Red Sandman shuddered as another heavy hit slammed into its bow, the tanks heavy ferro-fibrous armour rejecting the round, sending the round and the battered armour spraying away into the chaotic maelstrom around them.

“Save the rifle for something big, use the pulser’s only!”
“Aff, TARGET!”
“Incoming artillery!!”
“BRACE BRACE BRA….”

Senior Acolyte Jones kept his rifle at his shoulder as he and his squad walked through the battlefield. The ground was cut and torn, in some places shell craters were lip to lip and in it all was the detritus of war. Burned out tanks, smashed hovercraft, the hulks of Mechs and all too human shapes. Some less than human.

They were not hunting for targets though; they were hunting for survivors. Their own, and the Clans. MedTech’s were now the busiest people on Tukayyid, fighting to save the lives of the wounded, the maimed and burned.

The squad was approaching a Bolo tank, its turret pitted and cratered, the hull cut with laser fire.
“Thermal sigs at the back Adept..”
The point man whispered into her throat mic, and sure enough, there was some thermal signs, body heat. Not burning metal.

“Break and flank, if they resist subdue, do not kill.”
A small chorus of ‘Rogers’ sounded over the squads battlenet before Senior Acolyte took a deep breath and advanced past the towering bulk of the tank and brought his rifle up.

“Freeze! Nobody move!”

Jones didn’t expect to see a Clanner smile at him despite the many rifles now pointed at his chest.
“My shoulder is broken..I am I no mood for an afternoon jog Soldier.”
The Clanner stood, he’d been tending to the rest of his crew, a big man was laid out, his head heavily bandaged, a fierce looking woman was in a defensive crouch, a deadly sharp looking knife in her hands, two more Clanners were there, one unconscious, the other trying to sit upright despite having his leg in a field splint.
“I am Star Colonel Richard Liang…if you wish to take me prisoner though, you will have to fight me for that right to claim me and my crew as your Bondsman…”

Title: Re: Project Zhukov
Post by: Takiro on November 22, 2019, 06:14:03 PM

But wait there's more!? :D

Title: Re: Project Zhukov
Post by: muttley on November 23, 2019, 03:50:00 PM

:)